Azumah Nelson v. Paul Hodkinson at 126

[Woldemar]

Good match for me.Who would win.I think Professor stop him in midrounds.

[Bodyshot3]

Two of my favourite fighters....so a proper toughie.

I am fairly sure Azumah wins but he would have had to stamp out some serious fires first... Hoko fought with a pace and intensity that would have given even a great like Nelson something to think about through the first six and his punches were hurtful and kept coming.

But I think that Nelson is usually one step ahead, blocking punchers, countering sharply and perhaps Paul ends up having to get pulled out around the 9-10 with the old curse of having been busted-up around the eyes.

[Roco]

Big fan of Hoko but Nelson just too tough in this one.

[stevedoc]

i have images of hoko with his face bashed up after this fight , just a bad style for hoko nelson could out box him or out punch him i only see nelson as the winner in about 10 rds .....but it would be a great fight

[Counter-puncher]

Nelson by butchery

worth noting that, IMO, talk of Nelson not liking to fight at a certain pace is a little offbase- this applies to the later-career nelson @130lbs, not the ferocious monster @126 who gave Sanchez all he could handle and beat the dogsh1t out of Gomez.

[Datsue]

Nelson by butchery

worth noting that, IMO, talk of Nelson not liking to fight at a certain pace is a little offbase- this applies to the later-career nelson @130lbs, not the ferocious monster @126 who gave Sanchez all he could handle and beat the dogsh1t out of Gomez.

This, this, a thousand times this.

[orbtastic]

I saw the thread title and just thought "ouch".

Hoko was good, and had really good fundamentals and power but I just see him being on the end of a one-sided hiding here. No shame in that though, The Professor is an ATG.

More interesting for me is a re-match in the pro ranks with Davidson, or Medina (IBF) or Esparragoza (WBA). I think he has the workrate and power to beat Medina and Davidson but I think even late career Antonio stops him, just hits too hard.

Does anyone know why the Davidson fight didn't happen? He was quite popular and on TV but largely fought unknown Thai fighters.

[BoxBuzz]

Think about just how well a young Nelson did vs Sanchez. It would have been something to see how they would have fared in a best 2 out of 3...... Had they had the opportunity to show us what Morales and Barrera showed us, I'm thinking it would be impossible to predict which of those two would have the better rep in todays world.

How do you fit Paul into that? He's just grist for the mill. IMHO.

I'm sorry. I'm feeling Nelson was in a different class.

[Bodyshot3]

I still think Hoko would have been dead competitive through the first six....even if the result was never in doubt. Seem to remember that he was a fast starter, a top-class swarmer and a properly strong, game lad. But all the aces remain with Azumah and ultimately Nelson's strength, hard, accurate shots break Paul down.

Mitchell v Nelson would have been a closer affair.....that's one of my favourite fights of yesteryear.

[Counter-puncher]

Think about just how well a young Nelson did vs Sanchez. It would have been something to see how they would have fared in a best 2 out of 3...... Had they had the opportunity to show us what Morales and Barrera showed us, I'm thinking it would be impossible to predict which of those two would have the better rep in todays world.

How do you fit Paul into that? He's just grist for the mill. IMHO.

I'm sorry. I'm feeling Nelson was in a different class.

indeed, on all counts

[Broomhall]

Hoko was a very good fighter who, like Mcguigan burned brightly for a short while, but not even close to Nelson I think, and that is not an insult to Hodkinson but more about just how good Nelson was.

[Old bones Ian]

Looks like i'm in the same camp as everyone else, Hoko was a good exciting boxer, but Nelson is a great boxer. Hoko would get a few shots in, and earn Nelson's respect but by round 8 it would of been over.

Hoko did box Davidson in the Northern Counties round of the bantam ABA's, around 1985. Davidson won in the 1st round.

[orbtastic]

Yeah, I did say re-match in the pro ranks. They were active/popular at the same time, it could have happened. I'm fairly sure they were both on ITV, albeit different promoters. I don't really remember much about it at the time. It would have made sense, same way Groves/DeGale did.

[Old bones Ian]

Yeah, I did say re-match in the pro ranks. They were active/popular at the same time, it could have happened. I'm fairly sure they were both on ITV, albeit different promoters. I don't really remember much about it at the time. It would have made sense, same way Groves/DeGale did.

Around 1990 to 1992. Both boxers didn't have long primes, but around that time they would of been evenly matched in terms of primes. Only problem was Davison was fighting as a Superbantam, so would of given away alot of weight to Hoko.
In 1992 when John appeared in the featherweight division, Hoko was WBC champ, and i'm guessing John didn't have a ranking to fight him, he then went down the WBO title route but got upset by Robinson

as an aside just looking at past opponents of Davison's, and Plaisakda Singwancha who lost a SD to John at Superbantam, ended up as a Supermiddle losing to the likes of Shannon Taylor!

[Counter-puncher]

Hoko-Davidson: someone's getting TKO'd with facial damage, they both had a history of cutting/swelling. my initial thought is Hoko wins but I also think Davidson would give him a lot of problems with that right-handed southpaw right hook, (and with his slightly superior footwork) coming from outside Hoko's eyeline; Davidson was very canny the way he could land that as a lead, I think he'd have Hoko's left eye tenderised. would have been a good one.

[orbtastic]

Yeah I was Googling the other day to see if I could find any articles, found an interview with Hoko when he was WBC holder and he mentioned he could fight [WBO holder] Davidson, but I guess that window was small.

[Bodyshot3]

Was Hoko v Colin 'Sweet C' McMillan ever a serious option? I'd like to have seen that one.......

[SamWise72]

Which Davidson is this? I don't remember anyone of that name in the era, and there's no Davidson listed as a former WBO feather champ. I suspect I'm being an eejit.

[SamWise72]

Are we talking about John Davison? Someone mentioned him as WBO holder, maybe that's what threw me.

[orbtastic]

Yeah that's right, I remember watching the Davidson/Robinson fight but misremembered that he wasn't the holder - The fight came about after Palacios beat McMillian on a shoulder injury (think he dislocated it) and then tested positive for HIV after a medical for the Davidson fight, at which point Robinson stepped in on about 2 days notice.

I've got his book somewhere, I'll be honest and say I couldn't finish it because he came across badly in it.

That he wasn't the holder would go some way to answering my question, I guess.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/boxi ... 50959.html

That article says McMillan was in the audience for Hoko's defence and somewhat ironic really, that Robinson would go on to have what some might judge the "better" career and rack up more defences, not to mention wins over all three fighters mentioned. Hoko never really looked in the fight against Robinson and McMillan never really looked the same after the shoulder injury.

[SamWise72]

I reckon Hoko would have chopped up Davison. He wasn't European level, never mind world level, the WBO title wasn't on par with the big 3 then, and Hoko won a real one. Way too much pressure for Davison; their respective results against Fabrice Benechou tell the story for me.

[Bodyshot3]

I reckon Hoko would have chopped up Davison. He wasn't European level, never mind world level, the WBO title wasn't on par with the big 3 then, and Hoko won a real one. Way too much pressure for Davison; their respective results against Fabrice Benechou tell the story for me.

Agreed. Massive difference back then between being someone who was a WBC champ and a guy who didn't win a WBO. A prime Hoko would have smoked Davison.

[palooka]

Azumah v Hoko would have been a really awful time for Paul, Nelson was just leagues above in everything.

Hoko v Davidson as a pro would have been a very tight affair. Davidson was a really good fighter and he'd not have rolled over. He had a punch to make Paul wary and was a fit man. I think Hoko would have got a decision for his crisper work.